BJP in no mood to reply to Gowda's letter

Published: Saturday, November 3, 2007, 19:35 [IST]

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New Delhi, Nov 3 (UNI) The BJP today said the UPA was indulging in delaying tactics on the issue of reviving the Karnataka Assembly, even as it seemed to be in no mood to reply to Janata Dal (Secular) Chief H D Deve Gowda's letter setting a dozen new terms and conditions for extending his party's support to the coalition led by BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa.

A decision to this effect was believed to have been taken at a meeting of top party leaders available in Delhi at the residence of Leader of Opposition L K Advani this morning. "The party will not reply to Mr Gowda's letter", an aide to BJP President Rajnath Singh said without confirming the morning meeting.

Sources feel that the party would like to exhibit its strength before President Pratibha Devisingh Patil to expose the double standards of the Congress-led UPA government towards the non-Congress formations.

" Tackle the conditionalities set by Mr Gowda and you can draw your own inference," sources said adding that the BJP can settle the issue through discussions. On the day the two parties decided to go in for a fresh coalition, the BJP had said that the JD (S) had offered an "unconditional support" to the government and the two parties would face the next Lok Sabha elections together.

Mr Gowda had written a letter to Mr Rajnath Singh listing the conditions to be entered into by the two parties in the form of Memorandum of Understanding. The terms and conditions set by the former Prime Minister sought to provide a key position to his son and JD (S) Legislature Party leader H D Kumaraswamy in the running of the coalition including the transfer and posting of officials.

One of the conditions even sought the state Cabinet to recommend dissolution of the Assembly in the event of early elections to the Lok Sabha and the two parties were free to face the elections independent of each other.